The Ultimate Guide To Grilled Cheese By XTU Nation

The Ultimate Guide to Grilled Cheese by XTU Nation

National Grilled Cheese Day is celebrated every year on April 12th and boy, do we have some delicious grilled cheese recipes for you to upgrade your favorite meal. It's a meal that is still good even when it's made simple, it's a meal that anyone can make, and most importantly, it's a meal families of all ages enjoy together.

The biggest question on everyone's mind when discussing the perfect grilled cheese is whether you use butter or mayo as the spread. Some might argue that butter makes it crispier and more golden than butter. Others might say that using mayo makes the sandwich less greasy than butter.  At its core, grilled cheese is made up of bread and cheese. The best part about this meal is that it's always filling and you'll always have the ingredients right in your fridge. But sometimes, it's fun to spice up a classic meal and make it your own.

If you've ever seen the movie, Chef, starring Jon Favreau, then you remember this incredible scene that made everyone's stomach grumble. Watch this delicious scene that will have you craving a cheese-melting, golden brown grilled cheese right now. 

In celebration of National Grilled Cheese Day, The Andie Summers Show asked the people they trust the most - XTU Nation for their guide to grilled cheese. You might agree that jalapeno peppers add a kick to the sandwich or maybe you prefer to have grilled cheese with tomato soup. Listen to how XTU Nation upgrades this home-cooked meal.

Do you agree with these grilled cheese recipes? What's your hot take? Use these suggestions from XTU Nation to upgrade your grilled cheese sandwich today.

It's back to school time! And that means so is the stress of sending you kid into school with a good lunch that he or she will actually eat. These school lunch hacks will help you feel good about what you're sending your kiddo to eat for lunch ... and there's a good chance he or she will actually eat it!

But, in all honesty, it's not about us, it's about the kids. The lunch your child takes to school or buys at school can make or break their day. Food effects mood, engagement in the classroom, and overall performance. If your child isn't set up to succeed by giving them a good lunch, that's just one more hurdle they have to manage in every aspect of their day; in the classroom, on the playground, and on the sports field.

Listen, you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Check out some of these hacks that have worked for me in the past, as well as some ideas I wish I had.

Bon Appetit!

Oh, it's just me? No. I don't believe that. When my kids went to school with their pretty little lunches, I never let the other moms know that I would REGULARLY forget to put their lunches together. So I set an alarm on my phone for 8pm every week day. I chose a time I knew I wouldn't be in the middle of something where I wouldn't be able make those lunches immediately (like in the middle of making or eating dinner, or too close to bedtime).

My kids don't like sandwiches. It's frustrating. But I was able to create a fun way for them to eat their lunches without ever seeing a sandwich. What they did see was all the things that make up a sandwich, tucked into tidy little cubbies or in cupcake cups. Like this mama ...
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg-tcUSvOp7/

If you want to change things up a bit, go out and buy a pack of those skinny stirrers - you might use yours for coffee, I use mine to hold the olives in my martinis.

My kiddos used to be ADDICTED to those yogurt tubes, so for lunch I would freeze the tube and pop it in their lunch before they went to school. It acted like a little cooler pack and stayed cold until lunch. Just watch for the brain-freeze!

If your kids are on the creative side, or you just want to have some fun with food, try baking sandwich-fixings into cupcakes or other fun shapes. I used to make breakfast cups for my fam (ham, egg, cheese, in a crust of bread) to make breakfast easy for them since I'm at work before anyone wakes up. They work well for lunch, too!